Speed Limits

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This Synthesis of Practice focuses on speed management for work zones on roadways with ordinary (pre-construction) speed limits of 45 mph and above such as freeways, tollways, multilane divided rural …More

Guidelines on Managing Speeds in Work Zones summarizes available guidance on setting speed limits and managing speeds in work zones. Many factors impact the decision to reduce the regulatory speed lim…More

Work zones include advance warning area, transition area, and activity area. The geometric, traffic control aspects, traffic operations, and driver’s maneuverability differ within each work zone are…More

Capacity and free flow speed (FFS) are the two most important traffic characteristics that determine traffic flow conditions in work zones. Work zone capacity and FFS are also important because they d…More

Speeding in motorway work zones lowers the perceived safety of road workers and increases the accident risks of traffic participants. In a work zone, traffic participants share the road with road work…More

There were more than 390 work zone crashes in Massachusetts in 2016. A proposed Massachusetts bill will authorize MassDOT to set a reduced speed limit in construction zones or other hazardous areas.…More

Freeway work zone is considered as a potentially hazardous zone, which asks for special speed restriction to provide a relatively safe environment for road users and workers. However, the efficacy of …More

Lane changing and merging occurs more frequently in work zones than other roadway conditions due to mandatory lane changes that occur in work zones with lane closures. Discretionary lane changes are a…More

This paper reports part of a larger study conducted in Norway about speed choice at roadworks. The method utilized was four videos of real work zones. One urban road and one rural road were filmed at …More

Currently, the Oregon Department of Transportation is investigating the potential for increasing the truck speed limit from 55 to 60 mph in segments where the current speed limit is 65 for cars/light …More

Variable Speed Limit Sign (VSLS) Systems enable speed limits to be changed dynamically in response to traffic conditions so that
traffic incidents can be reduced significantly on freeway work zones. …More

Reductions in speed and, more critically, in speed variability between vehicles are considered an important factor to reduce crash risk in work zones. This study was designed to evaluate in a virtual …More

Increasing travel demands and an aging highway infrastructure drive the need for extensive construction, maintenance, and utility work zones. The introduction of work zone environments creates risks f…More

Pavement preservation projects typically require construction workers to conduct their work in close proximity to ongoing traffic. During paving operations, workers are located within a protected work…More

In July and August 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) raised the posted speed limit on rural sections of Interstates 80, 380, and …More

This Synthesis of Practice focuses on speed management for work zones on roadways with ordinary (pre-construction) speed limits of 45 mph and above such as freeways, tollways, multilane divided rural …More

Transportation officials say reckless driving and speeding in Interstate work zones around Charleston have raised concerns and may soon result in increased speed limit enforcement. A Department of Tra…More

Associated Pennsylvania Constructors and its over 400 members will push for legislation allowing the use of cameras to enforce speed limits in work zones. The group expressed concern that a higher spe…More

Poor compliance with speed limits is a serious safety concern in work zones. Most studies of work zone speeds have focused on descriptive analyses and statistical testing without systematically captur…More

Many highway agencies wrestle with the question of how best to use enforcement personnel to improve work zone safety. Some agencies prefer to position the enforcement officer and vehicle at key locati…More

This report describes the methodology and results of analyses performed to determine the effectiveness of Ohio Department of Transportation processes for establishing work zone speed zones. Researcher…More

On Friday, a new Minnesota law aimed at protecting road workers takes effect. The work zone speed limit will drop to 45 miles per hour when workers are present and the minimum fine for speeding will b…More

A new law in Minnesota will force motorists to slow down to 45 miles per hour in roadside work zones or face a $300 fine. The new law comes after the deaths of Craig Carlson and Ron Rajkowski, who wer…More

According to a new law passed at the 2014 state legislative session, beginning Aug. 1, motorists will be fined $300 for speeding through a work zone. Motorists who do not obey work zone flaggers’ tr…More

Speed management of traffic in work zones is important for the safety of both the road user and road worker. A work zone will introduce deviations from normal travel in a discrete road section and app…More

The reduction of posted speed limit at a freeway work zone plays an important role in ensuring safety of transportation system users and construction workers. However, it increases vehicular delay. Th…More